Clothespin



Oct. 28, 19 2 v A. E. LlNTON ETAL CLOTHESPIN Filed July 27, 1950 IN VEN TOR.

NM 06 TN mu LI- E .wN RE FG LU E ATTOPNEY Patented Oct. 28 1952 CLOTHESPIN Alfred E. Linton, Philadelphia, Pa., and Eugene Tillinger, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application July 2'7, 1950, Serial No. 176,202

1 Claim.

The present invention relates to a clothes pin and more particularly to a pin that is impervious to weather and liquids, and one that can be kept clean, and one that will not absorb moisture or liquids.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a clothes pin that may be used at either.

end.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a pin having no metal'parts, one that is resistant to corrosion and other deteriorating elements.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a clothes pin having a pivoted seat adjacent each end.

A still further objectof the present invention is the provision of jaws that are identical in structure and so designed that when reversed interfit to form a clothes pin.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a clothes pin having line engaging means.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a clothes pin made of plastic or other weather resisting material.

A still further object of the present invention is the provision of a clothes pin in which only one mold is required to manufacture a jaw.

Other and specific objects of the present invention will become apparent as the details thereof are described, having reference to the accompanying drawing; wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the clothes pin.

Figure 2 is a top plan view.

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the jaws in unassembled position.

Figure 4 is a side elevational view of a modified form of the invention portions being broken away showing a spring.

Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the clothes pin in engagement with a clothesline and supporting an article, and

Figure 6 is a view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 3 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the semi-circular transverse grooves and a semi-circular ridge.

In the past clothes pins have been made and provided with metal parts to hold them together, or they have been made with a slot and of wood, they have also been provided with metal parts for hinge action and closure action. The metal parts, due to atmospheric conditions, weather or chemicals rust, which makes them useless, especially for use with clothes. The present clothes 2 pin is made of a material that is non-absorbing to liquids used to wash or sterilize them, impervious to any deterioration and immune to corrosion from weather or chemicals, therefore easy to wash and keep clean. Due to the structure of the present clothes pin it is only necessary to manufacture one jaw, that is to say only one mold is necessary as the jaws when assembled are in opposed relation thus providing interfitting parts.

In the drawing the numeral l0 represents the clothes pin and it comprises jaws H and I2 that are identical in structure, each of the jaws having a groove [3 in the top and side walls midway the ends thereof, the ends of the jaws being rounded, the jaws being secured together as shown in Figures 1 and 2 by a rubber band I5. Jaw II is provided with semi-circular groove l6, I1 and I8, and a semi-circular transverse ridge l9. The inner faces of end portions 20 and 21 taper, face 20 tapering to shoulder 22 of the transverse groove l5 and face 2! tapering to the base point 23 of semicircular ridge I9. Jaw i2 is provided with a semi-circular transverse ridge 2 and transverse semi-circular grooves 25, 26 and 21. The inner faces of end portions 28 and 29 taper, face 28 tapering to the base point 30 of the transverse semi-circular ridge 24, and face 2Q to the shoulder 3! of the transverse groove 21. The semi-circular grooves 25 and 26 are in register with the semi-circular grooves I7 and I8 and form circular transverse openings 32 and 33. As shown in Figure l, transverse groove i6 is engaged by transverse ridge 2 and transverse groove 21 engaged by transverse ridge l9. By tapering the inner faces 20, 2|, 28 and 29, V- shaped openings 34 and 35 are provided.

In the form of the invention shown in Figure 4, instead of using a rubber band 15 as shown in Figures 1 and 2 for holding the jaws together, a spring is provided, and it may be of plastic material, or it may be a wire covered with plastic. The spring is of the compression type, a portion seating in bore 31 of jaw l I, and a portion seating in bore 38 of jaw I2, the bores 31 and 38 being mid-way the ends of the jaws. The ends of the spring may be secured in the bores in any suitable manner or by any suitable means.

In assembling the clothes pin l0, jaws II and I2 are positioned so that groove I6 is engaged by ridge 24 and ridge [9 by groove 21. A rubber band I5 is then positioned in the groove I3, the pin then being in assembled position.

In using the clothes pin [0, and as shown in Figure 5, the pin is positioned on a line 39 by;

3 pressing one end of the jaws toward each other until one of the V-openings is wide enough to permit the line to pass over one of the ridges l9 or 24, and into one of the openings 32 or 33. The end of the pin being pressed, is then released and the opposite end of the jaws pressed toward each other until the jaws are wide enough to permit insertion of an article 40. When the jaws are released a positive grip is provided by one of the ridges [9 or 24 impinging a portion of an article 40 into one of the transverse recesses H5 or 21.

During movement of the jaws H and I2 toopen position, if the jaws are being pressed from the right hand side, the fulcrum point will be at points 23 and 3|, a portion of the ridge I9 being engaged by the groove 21, the groove riding over the ridge. If the jaws are pressed from the left hand side the fulcrum point would be at points 22 and 30, the rest of the opening operation being as described for the right hand side. In using the pin as shown in Figure 4, the spring will expand when either end of the jaws is pressed together, and when the ends of the jaws are released the spring will contract.

From the foregoing description, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construction and operation will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and we desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative and that such changes may be made within the scope of the claim hereto ap pended.

What is claimed is:

A clothes pin of identical juxtaposed jaw members centrally resiliently connected to one another, an outwardly tapered end portion at both ends of each jaw member, a fulcrum ridge at the inner terminus of the tapered section at one end of each jaw member, a complementary semi-cylindrical groove at the inner terminus of the tapered section of the jaw at the other end of each of said jaw members, and complementary grooves in each jaw located between each of the fulcrum points and the central resilient connection.

ALFRED E. LINTON. EUGENE, TILLINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,330,205 McKeehan Feb. 10, 192i) FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 3,989 Great Britain of 1906 261,593 Germany June 26, 1913 441,370 Germany Mar. 1, 1927 539,611 Great Britain Sept. 17, 1941 

